Monthly Archives: March 2013

It starts making its appearance as you cross that mythical, yet definitive boundary that is the acclaimed Gateway to the South — the Mason-Dixon line.

It is found in the land where the term “y’all” permeates in every conversation, where Alabama and Georgia football games are considered national holidays, and where honey is the only thing that can accompany butter on biscuits. You have encountered the house wine of the south, sweet tea. Continue reading Sweet Tea — the House Wine of the South→

Josh Moore grows his own—produce, that is, on a 10-acre farm near Taylorsville. When the fruits and vegetables are ripe, they end up plated at Volare, where Moore is executive chef and partner.

Outside the garden, he pursues an eclectic batch of activities, from power lifting to creating sugar art. These days he’s also renovating his 110-year-old farmhouse. The kitchen was the first room done. “I put in a commercial Vulcan six-burner, double oven range with a two-foot griddle-broiler combo,” he says, smiling. “It’s beautiful.” Continue reading Q&A: Chef Josh Moore of Volare→

Trying to get a table at 211 Clover Lane without a reservation on a weekend will send you seeking sustenance elsewhere. Their regular customers might not know the chefs’ names, but make no mistake, they know the food he prepares is some of the best in town. Continue reading Q&A: Troy Schuster of 211 Clover Lane→

A.P. Crafters, the gastropub created by Boombozz Pizza pioneer Tony Palombino, has closed. No word on why the Westport Village restaurant shut its doors after a 21-month run, but doubtless it proves, yet again, that restaurants are just one hell of a competitive business. What makes the closure even more puzzling is that Palombino sold the restaurant to an Arizona group just a few months ago.

And it’s not as though the sale left Palombino with time on his hands. His newest restaurant, Manny & Merle, is a honkytonk spot serving mod-Mex food and doing a good trade.

Zagat, whose guides to U.S. restaurants have long directed customers to good eats, has named Louisville one of seven up-and-coming food towns in the U.S.

It’s a suitable honor to be sure. The other six include Nashville, Birmingham, Ala., Athens, Ga., Boulder, Colo., Salt Lake City and Charleston, S.C. That last one … hmm … we think that long ago passed the “up and coming” level, but alas, it’s Zagat’s list. The others really are some rockin’ restaurant towns, so if your travels take you there, have your fork handy. Continue reading Zagat dubs Louisville one of 7 U.S. emerging restaurant towns→

I am a cocktail enthusiast, part of a small but growing handful of people who drink because we love the art of drinking.

I love the theatrics involved in preparing a quality drink: the sound of ice cracking, the ease and elegance with which a bartender moves his fingers around the swiveled stem of a bar spoon, mist from orange and lemon peels releasing their oils, and finally, the moment a drink is poured into a glass, velvety smooth with a few ice crystals floating on top, ready to be experienced. Continue reading Vodka — The Gateway Spirit→